Gay rights are human rights

The time has come for India to make its mark on the world stage. There are clearly certain issues that prevent India from being taken seriously on the global arena. Our image is tarred because of our track record on women and gay rights.

We have to improve on both these fronts. All we have to do is go back to our ancestral roots and realize that Hinduism, in contrast to many other major religions, has had female god figures, as well. In many cities in India, our morning greetings start with the name of a female god first. Take for instance – Radhe Krishna. I have seldom heard people greeting the opposite way. So reverence and recognition of the gender equality is there in our roots, but somehow it got lost in the process of years of colonization.

The same is true of the rights of homosexuals. While the western world was engulfed in condemnation of homosexuality some 15 centuries ago, India was accepting of homosexual behavior. Our scriptures and temples bear good proof of it. While the western world was sanctioning and punishing people with heavy fines and death penalty for homosexuality, India advocated tolerance.

We saw a reversal of that trend when we got colonized, and it was the British that came with the Victorian ideals and pressed the change by criminalizing homosexuality in India. It was a shame that a writer like Oscar Wilde died lonely, burdened with huge fines simply because he was a homosexual. He was even jailed for practicing homosexuality. It was this Victorian hypocrisy that was imposed on India. Now we are stuck with it. We have somehow internalized this and are unable to change our laws to tune in with our good old traditional and tolerant view that sexuality between adults of the same sex is a private issue, and as long as it is based on consent, it is no crime.

Manu Sareen, who was the former minister of Church affairs in Denmark, made his mark by passing a law that makes it possible for homosexuals to get married in Church. He will go down in history in Denmark as the minister who did the most to improve the rights of homosexuals. Quite an achievement by a person of Indian origin in a country where a significant section of church members were opposed to it.

India’s time has come to finally brush aside its image as a country that does not dare to align itself with its rich past. Homosexuality is no crime. A significant section of all societies have homosexual individuals. And it is high time that we regard that gay rights and lesbian rights are also human rights. They have a right not to get discriminated and be seen as persons with integrity.

Let us welcome that finally Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has endorsed that the rights of homosexuals, like everyone else’s, should be protected. The time for decriminalization of consensual homosexual acts between adults has arrived. Let me make it clear that this is not a personal matter. I am not a gay fighting for my own rights. It is high time to promote India as a country where all human beings, irrespective of gender, enjoy equal rights.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Author

Mrutyuanjai Mishra is a commentator with Politiken, Denmark's largest newspaper. He also comments on Asia on Danish TV and radio channels. He has authored many analytical articles on Asia and India in several Danish newspapers. He has studied anthropology at Copenhagen University and has specialized in human rights and democratization. Mrutyuanjai Mishra has spent half of his life in India and the other half in the Scandinavian countries Denmark and Sweden.
Mrutyuanjai Mishra is also a consultant lecturer on issues related to India and Asia at institutions of higher education.
He is currently working on a book on India to be used for higher educational purposes in Scandinavian countries.

Mrutyuanjai Mishra is a commentator with Politiken, Denmark's largest newspaper. He also comments on Asia on Danish TV and radio channels. He has authored m. . .